Lars Larson

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For another radio host with a similar name, see Lars Larsen (radio).

Lars Larson (born March 6, 1959 in Taipei, Taiwan) is an American conservative talk radio show host based in Oregon. Larson also hosts a national talk radio show on the Westwood One Radio Network. His talk show's flagship station, 750 KXL in Portland, Oregon has hosted the program since 1997.

1 Career
2 Political positions
3 Personal life
4 Controversial remarks
5 Shows and times
6 Awards
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Career

Larson began his broadcasting career at age 16, at KTIL-AM (now KMBD-AM) in his hometown of Tillamook, Oregon (Tillamook High class of 1977, info. from The Oregonian April 6, 2003). He attended the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon and was a radio news broadcaster on KATR and KBDF. He was later news director at KZEL before moving to KJRB in Spokane, Washington in 1979.

In 1980 Larson moved to Portland, Oregon and KXL for what would become the first of two positions. Larson did the afternoon news. In 1983, he moved back to Eugene and was a reporter and anchor for KVAL-TV. In 1985, Larson moved back to Portland, but this time to KPTV, hosting the TV news magazine program Northwest Reports. In 1988, Larson also hosted a weekend talk show on KEX which moved to KGW later in the year and continued to 1990.

He left the award-winning Northwest Reports TV program in 1997, joining KPTV's 10 O'Clock News as anchor until 1998. Larson then moved to KOIN TV, hosting a morning program The Buzz until 2000. In his radio career, Larson had moved back to KXL in 1997, this time hosting a talk show. The Lars Larson Show which aired noon to 4 p.m.

On January 31, 2000 The Lars Larson Show began airing on nine radio stations (currently 17) via "The Radio Northwest Network". In 2002, Larson was listed in Talkers Magazine's Heavy Hundred (the most important radio hosts of 4,000 nationwide) for the first time. In July 2003, Larson began filling in for Talk Radio Network talk host Michael Savage. On August 14, 2003 Larson was informed by Westwood one radio network that he was chosen as host. The Lars Larson Show officially debuting on Westwood One on September 1, 2003 with 105 affiliates. (The show is currently on 175 affiliates.)^[1]

On October 15, 2007, Larson requested that the Oregon State Bar Association investigate whether current Governor of Oregon Ted Kulongoski lied about having knowledge about the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old by Neil Goldschmidt in the 1970s.^[2] Kulongoski, a lawyer, has denied knowing anything about Goldschmidt having sex with an underage girl. In a story reported in The Oregonian in June 2004, however, former Goldschmidt speechwriter Fred Leonhardt said he told Kulongoski about the abuse as far back as 1994, 10 years before Goldschmidt admitted to the abuse.^[3] Larson wants the state bar to determine if Kulongoski lied about the matter, and whether his bar license should be suspended or revoked.^[4] After an investigation, the state bar determined that both Kulongowski and Leonhardt were "credible" in their accounts of the matter, and closed the investigation for want of sufficient evidence to continue. Larson appealed the decision, calling it contradictory; upon appeal, the decision was upheld. The general counsel to the bar wrote an email to Larson stating that "given the directly contradictory accounts of the parties and the total absence of any other evidence, I cannot conclude that there is sufficient evidence to form a reasonable belief that misconduct may have occurred", noting that the only evidence against Kulongowski was the testimony of Leonhardt. She added that "it is indisputable that memories fade with time and that two people can walk away from the same conversation with very different ideas of what was said." Larson has accused the state bar of having "swept this matter under the rug".^[5]

In 2008, Talkers Magazine rated Larson as the 27th most important radio talk show host in America.^[6]

[edit] Political positions

Larson is a proponent for stopping all illegal immigration to the United States and greatly increasing requirements for immigrants to become citizens, such as learning to read, write, and speak English.

[edit] Personal life

He is married to Tina Michele Larson. They live in Vancouver, Washington.

[edit] Controversial remarks

Larson is licensed in Oregon and Washington to carry a concealed weapon. He has responded to persons who threaten to harm him or his family physically by publicly threatening to return any such attempts with lethal force. For example, when Michael Moore called Larson's home number from the stage, for a political stunt during a Fahrenheit 9/11 promotion tour, Larson's voice mail greeting gave his personal cell phone number and the entire audience heard it. According to police records, multiple people thereafter harassed his family and made threatening sexual comments to his wife. Larson then announced on the air that if anyone acted on these threats and tried to harm someone in his family, he would use lethal force in self-defense.

On September 16, 2005 Bret A. Harter, 38, of Portland pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor phone harassment for the telephone threats he made against Larson and his family.^[7] Harter was sentenced by Judge Robert Lewis in Clark County Superior Court to 30 days in jail and 30 days on work release.^[8] The investigation was conducted by the Vancouver, Washington Police Department^[9] and resulted in a permanent restraining order issued by a judge against the defendant.^{[citation needed]}

In December 2005, Larson declared on-air that he was protesting the renaming of the traditional Christmas Tree placed in Pioneer Courthouse Square a "Holiday Tree" by placing his own Christmas Cross in the square. The idea was reversed because of threats made against Larson and the Christmas Cross, as well as legal concerns for his flagship station.

On March 18, 2008, Larson called former president Jimmy Carter an anti-semite on CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Shows and times

Lars Larson Northwest Show 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Pacific (This show only broadcasts to the state of Oregon and Southwest Washington. In addition, the 11 a.m. hour is a "Portland-only" hour broadcasting only to KXL listeners.)
Lars Larson National Show airs real-time 3 p.m.-6 p.m. Pacific, 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Eastern on the Westwood One Radio Network. It also airs on flagship KXL from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.

[edit] Awards

Peabody Award 1990 (KPTV Northwest Reports: “Mount St. Helens: A Decade Later”)
National Press Club award “Can't You Hear the Whistle Blow?” (KPTV News 1988) This was also a finalist for a national Emmy.
Northwest Regional Emmy Award for best investigative reporting (1994 KPTV Northwest Reports: "The Round File", with Gordon Coffin)